Crossing the border of decency

It looks like as if a group of old guard politicians in post World War II Japan has always been involved in proving to the people that they quite often forget the reality that the game they are involved in is called politics and hence there is an urgent need to think seriously about any possible consequence before uttering unpleasant words that usually spread around with the speed of the light if the comment contains elements of extreme controversy. There is also no shortage of examples among Japanese politicians expressing regret for what they had said earlier. Despite such examples plentiful all around, there is no sign that politicians have taken the matter seriously as controversial and in times outrageous comments by some leading political figures in Japan continue to damage the image of the nation overseas.

The maverick politician of Japan's 'Old Guard Political Camp', Shintaro Ishihara, who first came into international limelight for making comments considered unusual for Japanese political figures in late 1980s through his thought provoking publication 'Japan that can say No', has since then repeatedly proved that he is not a person that foreigners figure out as stereotyped Japanese -- tight lipped and indifferent when specific comments on an important issue is expected. Now serving his second term in the office as governor of Tokyo, Ishihara in the recent past has outraged the Asian population of the Japanese capital by branding them as polluters and troublemakers and asking country's defence authority to be vigilant of their movements. And now he came a step forward with another of his branded controversial comments that outraged many of his own people who rightfully think that the Tokyo governor has crossed the border of decency by suggesting that a high government official deserved to be a legitimate target of terrorist attack at his home in Japan's capital city, the metropolis that has its reputation of being the safest mega city in the world.

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Like in most other countries of the world, Japan too have numerous organisations involved in activities ranging from helping the disadvantaged to dubious religious practices. Some have strong political connection, while others go for economic, material or spiritual gain. Among the groups with political linkages, there are quite significant number calling for a return to Japan's 'glorious past' when the country expanded its military occupation throughout Asia. These groups are also allergic to making any concession, particularly to China or Korea on political matters, and hence stand firmly against normalization of Japan's diplomatic relations with North Korea. One such self-proclaimed ultra patriot group has set the goal of targeting 'traitors of Japan' in order to get rid of those whom they see as selling out country's interest to the foreigners.

The group has claimed responsibility for a time bomb found recently at the home of a senior foreign office bureaucrat who served as Japan's point man in talks with North Korea. The bomb was removed from the home of Additional Foreign Secretary Hitoshi Tanaka and he and his family members were briefly evacuated to a police facility.

The device found at Tanaka's home was similar to ones used in fake bombs discovered earlier near the facilities of Japan's pro-Pyongyang Korean residents' association in Fukuoka and Niigata prefectures, with the important difference that the bomb placed at the residence of the foreign office bureaucrat being a real one. Police also found an envelope addressed in Japanese to "Kakuzoku Hitoshi Tanaka". 'Kakuzoku' in Japanese means traitor to Japan. On the back of the envelope the sender's identification was given as 'nation-building volunteer corps', a dubious terrorist group trying to purify Japan in the same way as some of country's top leaders in late 1930s and early 1940s tried and miserably failed.

The incident happened at a time when Tokyo governor came forward with his endorsement in support of a leading contestant in the upcoming presidential election of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). As the president of LDP is also to become the next prime minister of Japan, the election carries significant importance and Ishihara considered it to be his responsibility to stand behind one of the three candidates who are challenging Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

At a recent campaign speech in Tokyo in support of LDP presidential candidate Shizuka Kamei, Ishihara bluntly criticised the foreign office bureaucrat whose home was the target of a terrorist bomb attack by saying, "that fellow Hitoshi Tanaka had it coming." The Tokyo governor also did not hesitate to tell the audience that he thought Tanaka was a pawn working to uphold North Korean interest. Ishihara made it clear that he favours a high-handed Japanese attitude to punish North Korea instead of negotiating with the country.

His comment, which some in the Japanese media has termed as a 'terror-tolerating' one has stirred controversy and country's leading politicians, including the prime minister, have expressed shock over the matter. Koizumi called Ishihara's comment 'inappropriate', while the foreign ministry was outraged that one of its top officials was publicly blamed for the service he was rendering to ensure peace and stability in the region.

But the governor himself remains defiant, and despite outrage from fellow politicians and officials, Ishihara not only refused to apologise, but also added country's foreign ministry to the list that he blames for the bomb discovered at the house of a top bureaucrat. The Tokyo governor made it clear he was not in doubt that there were a number of events handled by the foreign office that, according to him, led to what the concerned official rightfully deserved.

As a result, many in Japan are now asking if planting a bomb at the house of someone who is disliked by a certain group is what the governor of Tokyo considers an act that calls for his support. This kind of open endorsement of violence by highly placed politicians, critics argue, might turn Japanese capital into a heaven for those looking for taking law into their own hands by involving in random revenge and contact killings, not to say of the different groups of terrorists that are now roaming around the globe in search of right opportunities to hit their targets. No doubt, a chilling option for a capital city with a population exceeding 10 million.